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THE LOVELY CRAZY

November 8, 2019 by maximios • Blog

The week started off a okay because camping and camping is camping and is always good. We went to Branbury State Park which is right in between Lake Dunmore and the Green Mountain National Forest. We didn%u2019t bring kayaks because we wanted to spend most of the time hiking plus I can%u2019t get wet and be outside in these temperatures%u2026. I will freeze to death. After a nice drive of foliage peeping, we got to the park, picked our site, made tea, and as we were setting up, the mr somehow knocked over his cup and covered his socked foot in boiling hot water. Blisters, big nasty ones, formed right away, but he championed on. Even managed to hike around all afternoon which in hindsight was not the smartest because his sandals were digging into the burns. But he survived and we camped on. He fished, I read, we ate dinner, watched the fire, crawled into the tent, and listened as the rain began. Woke up at the usual time in a slight puddle (it rained hard) tossed the wet stuff into the car, and headed on home to tend to wounds and the business of life.

The rest of the week, well, not going to lie, has kind of sucked for reasons that I am not going to get into. But let%u2019s just say that sometime people can really fucking suck. The shit show has been mostly affecting the mr but the stress is palpable. On top of dealing with our usual life stuff, he has been making so many phone calls, dealing with unhelpful people, driving back and forth long distances on a moments notice. I have been trying to make things easier on him by not being a pain in the ass, making him pumpkin bread and wearing strips on prints and all the bright colors. I think the outfit might have been lost on him, but it made me happy. And he liked the pumpkin bread so that was a win.

Anyway, even as things are kind of shitty, there was still some good things, like having dinner with my mom and Paul, farm share a plenty, and harvesting the scarlet runner beans (the prettiest bean ever!). I got into the studio to glaze my ceramic pumpkins and ghosts with Barb (I dropped a pumpkin and smashed it. That was after I cut my hand open an hour before. Good times) and I saved a kiln from being misfired which I patted myself on the back for. We also stopped over and hung with littles for a hot minute just because we missed them and then made the realization that we just need to get the hell out of here for a while. Fresh places, fresh faces, you know?

Back to Sunday. As of right now we are camping tonight. Suppose to go to Coolidge State Park in the heart of the peak of the foliage with lots and lots of hiking to be had. Hopefully there isn%u2019t more shitty shit that will prevent us from taking off. I will probably lose it if we don%u2019t go and end up running away into the woods anyways. Then maybe someone will find me in a week of two. Yeah, at least a week of staying away from the crazy cray cray. But it would be nice to take the mr with me. He needs the break more then I do.

Internet from the week

-Dressing up for Halloween? Here is some inspiration. 8 Sexy Outdoor-Themed Halloween Costumes. Sexy Matterhorn%u2026.Done.

–California’s massive power outage is a wake-up call for the whole country. Is this going to be a new normal? Shit is getting real, for real.

-Noodle art is cool. Meet the Illustrator Who Turns Noodle Soup Into Art

-There is a whole lot of snow meatless meats these days and it can be confusing. Everything You’ve Ever Wondered About Meatless Meat, Explained

–It’s so much more than cooking. I felt like I cold have wrote this article%u2026.. Soooo much more then cooking.

–Why You Never See Your Friends Anymore. Real life.

-Beans or soup. Soup or beans. Why not both? When You’re Cooking Dried Beans, You’re Already Halfway to Soup

–Water Bottles Have Long Been the Unexpected Status Symbols of High School. For real. I was part of the colored Nalgene wave%u2026. Blue with a yellow top and covered in Phish stickers because that was how I rolled.

-Eat them all, except the ones that are not edible. The Ultimate Guide to Winter Squash (for Your Front Stoop & Your%u00a0Stew!)

–The 4 Ingredients That Make Up the Perfect Reading Space. I agree but would add one more%u2026.quite!

Pictures from the week.

Hey there lovely peoples. So nice of you to stop by. Hope all is well and dandy with you. Well and dandy.

Holy crap am I one tired lady. Mentally and physically but mostly mentally because it has been one of those weeks. It all started off with the mr and I both feeling like absolute crap. Sinus infections and some other fun stuff. Heads and brains super dysfunctional (although we can%u2019t blame being sick for all the dysfunction). I blame the ick on the weather and it not being spring yet. But let%u2019s not talk to much about the weather. It%u2019s a touchy subject for me right now and I just can%u2019t. Anyway, the week started slow. We got a few things done that needed doing then got ready to take off for PA to visit with my dad and go to my grandmothers funeral.

Took off mid week, the mr driving the 6ish hours down and over. A super sunny and bright day it was . One might think that sounds kind of nice but I hated it. Brightness while in a car without sunglasses makes for brain pain, at least in my case. So I had my head under a blanket for a few hours. Got to PA alright but as soon as we pulled into my dads driveway the wave of pain knocked me to my knees and I got a full fledge migraine. I haven%u2019t had one of those fun episodes in years and I can safely say that I hope to NEVER get one again. But after a night of zero restless sleep, I got up and rallied and went about the next day as half a human baking machine. Made the breakfast pancakes, some lunch, a birthday cake, cookies, my dinner, and cinnamon buns for the next morning. %u201cDon%u2019t worry%u201d my dad said. .%u201d We can go to the store and get as much flour and sugar as you will need!%u201d And so we did because I used a lot of flour.

The next morning was the funeral. Early to wake, walked the dogs, fed people buns and headed to the Catholic Church. The one my dad and his siblings went to for their entire childhood. OH boy oh boy, what a hoot. Their mother finally got them to go back one last time. HAHA. And as for me, I can say that was the first time I have ever been in a Catholic Church (for church reasons) and seen a catholic funeral. Very interesting to say the least. And I do go to hand it to the priest. He was pretty cool. Hip, sweet, not a typical catholic church man, and he kept calling my grandmother Ava instead of Eva. That got some laughs. My grandmother would have loved it.

The funeral ended and we all went to a restaurant and did the food thing with the family love fest. It was very bittersweet. Sad because of the loss but we were celebrating a freaking amazing lady and her amazing long life. Oh Grammy. She was the greatest, coolest, funniest little lady ever and I will miss her deeply. So yeah. Then after all the food we topped it off with the birthday cake I made for Teena cause it was her birthday too. My family, we packed it all in because that is how we do it.

After hugs, pictures, Shannon falling asleep in a booth, we headed back to the car and away we went, a long drive home with lots of shitty weather and bad roads. But we made it. And I even unpacked the car and managed to shower off before passing out. And a pass out was exactly what I needed and still kind of do. I told myself I would let myself sleep in a bit, but 430 came and look at me, awake.

So it%u2019s today and I must do some stuff. I%u2019m going to go to the gym for the morning, Run run run until I cannot possibly run anymore. Then I will come home and eat eat eat until I can not possible eat any more. After that it is a bunch of chores that need to be done and I need to go see the littles because I miss them. And I know I will need a nap at some point because I am feeling the even all the coffee in the world will not be enough to keep my brain afloat for a full day. Or maybe I%u2019ll just go to bed at a unreasonabley early hour. (5ish sounds good to me. Ha. But really) Yup yup, looking forward to that.

Until then.

Internet link from the online.

–Greener Childhood Associated With Happier Adulthood. NO SHIT for reals.

-My Library even lends out baking pans and garden tools! 8 Unexpected Perks of a Library Card. And I don%u2019t think the article mentions, but library cards are cool people card to. HA

–Thank a cloud today. Five reasons you shouldn’t take cloud cover for granted. OH how I love me a nice cloudy day.

-Nothing like FRESH HORSERADISH ROOT. Might be picking up a piece today to knock out my sinus crud.

–Do anxious owners make for anxious dogs? Yes. There is no question in my mind what so ever.

-I listen to a story about this article on NPR. It%u2019s really crazy how people, especially in our culture, are living to work,n to working olive. Workism Is Making Americans Miserable

–A scientist on the myth of ugly produce and food waste. Interesting, very interesting.

-I don%u2019t need a baby nursery but if I did (or ever do) I want it to look just like this. MARIGOLD%u2019S NURSERY TOUR

-What. I thought they were real. Balloon Birds by Terry Cook Mimic Their Real-Life Counterparts

–Vanuatu Has One Of The World%u2019s Strictest Plastic Bans. It%u2019s About To Get Tougher. We all (the entire world) should be getting tougher.

And some pictures from the week.

Did you get a good dumping of snow this week? Sunday was awesome. A good foot and a half and it came down fast. Enough where everyone was pretty much snowed in for a least part of the day. Too bad it was mother freaking cold out so being outside for too long was very uncomfortable, but still. Any snow is good snow to me!

Monday was still crazy with the snow and all the roads so things were not much different then Sunday. We managed to make it up to the hospital for a visit with Coco, and the mr did work some and had to go into town to shavel more, but other then that, we pretty much just hung around the house. I really wanted to go cross country sking or snow shoeing but it was still like -20 out so being outside for more then a half hour wasn%u2019t the smartest. My body couldn%u2019t handle it, but man, after a few walks in that cold, my nose and eyeballs felt like they were going to shatter. Oh and it was my birthday so there was that.

After a semi quiet Monday, it was back to it. Coco was in the hospital up until Friday so we had the older littles all week. So we would work and do our thing during the day but then meet them at home after school, do the homework, eat the snacks, make the dinners, fight about computer time and showers. Just the every day type of stuff. Then we would get them ready for bed, do balloon yoga, look up real estate listing for houses with a private bathroom for everyone that was within their school district (found and it was a million dollars) and then get their butts to bed. Part time parents we are. Good thing we like those littles.

Friday when Coco was finally released from the hospital prison, he and the other two came over for dinner, abc puzzles, and a sled walk. After that Coco went home while the two others slept over. Slightly burnt popcorn while they watched Bio dome and who the heck knows what else they did.. I was so exhausted I passed the F out.

Saturday was pancakes with the normal hoopla and then the littles went home. After that the mr and I did a few things, he worked, I cleaned. Right back to the grind.

I am hoping today will be a good day. We might get a little fresh snow and it%u2019s suppose to be hella warm out (mid 20%u2019s to 30 degrees!) and the roads are not treacherous so that means we can grab our snow shoes and head out into the woods. I need, like really really need some nature action. I didn%u2019t get enough last week. After that, well, I don%u2019t know. Maybe I will just build a snow fort in the woods and hide out for the rest of the week. So if you really need me, you might want to check the trees.

Interent to check out while I am away in my Snow Castle of Solitude (thats what I will name it)

–Sorry, SweetHearts Candy Hearts Won%u2019t Be Sold This Valentine%u2019s Day. Are you going to miss them?

-People are already complaining%u2026 It%u2019s way to early for that. Wait until mid March, that%u2019s when the fever really sets in. Yes, cabin fever is real%u2014here’s how to prevent it

–What’s Healthy At The Grocery Store? Shoppers Are Often Confused, Survey Finds. Ill tell you whats healthy, the stuff that is not in a box or can or has 1-2 ingredients like a bag or dried beans or whole wheat flour.

-Wool is an amazing fiber. 10 Things Nobody Tells You About the Benefits of Wool.

-Fresh spices are always the best but sometimes you find a little baggy stuck in the way way back of the spice drawer sooooo.. How Long Do Spices Actually Last? We Asked an%u00a0Expert.

–New ‘tent’ makes it possible to camp underwater. Always up for a new camping experience!

-Pack your bags for crazy town! 7 Things to Know Before Checking Into %u2018Lindsay Lohan%u2019s Beach Club%u2019

-The mr and I are back on finding a van or something to run away in. NOT YOUR AVERAGE AIRSTREAM. Any one of these will do.

–Can Americans learn to love ugly fruits and vegetables? I sure hope so. I never understood how people can think of produce as %u201cugly%u201d. The more fun the shape, the better. And a few dings and bruises in the food never hurt anybody.

–Can We Stop Calling Cake “Bread” & Bread%u00a0″Cake”? It%u2019s something about baking anything in a loaf pan. I call banana bread baked in a circular cake pan banana cake. It is what it is.

Pictures from the week. o

I am kind of sick right now. A chest cold thing and maybe e coli from all the romaine. Plus my arm hurts a shit ton from kind of dropping a 500 pound cast iron sink on it. Oh and I spilt boiling hot water on my leg and burn the shit out of myself, and I grabbed a falling cactus which got a hand full of prickers stuck into it. Plus I am still feeling all sorts of sad about Only. I guess you could say I am not at my finest right now. But this time nest week, I am sure I will be radiant and gleeful. HAHA. (But I sure do hope so.)

The past two weeks have been a blur. Only getting sick and then having to put him down took it all right out of me. Dealing with him being so sick and then the week after him being gone%u2026just so shitty. But there was good stuff too.. There was lots of snow that made me so so happy. Shannon had a pizza birthday party. The family did the annual pre -Thanksgiving Thanksgiving, which the mr and I only spent a short time at because we had to bring Only to the vets. There were dinners with the littles, more snow, cold weather, work stuff, broom shopping, heavy cast iron sink moving. There was stuff.

Then we did a little Thnaksgiving on actual Thanksgiving with Erin and the littles. We played board games (well, they did, I was cooking), made Christmas decorations, listened to Christmas music and danced a little. I made tofu lasagna, mac and cheese, potatoes, and bread. And of course there were veggies and fruit, but yea, starch bomb. But that is what the littles wanted. I am nothing but accommodating. Quite, low key, and everyone was happy. It was a just what I needed.

And then the day after Thanksgiving was Erins birthday so the littles came over again and we made her a cake and they slept over and we watched more Christmas movies and ate pancakes for breakfast all the while I was feeling like garbage. So after we brought them home, I kind of curled in on myself. I can%u2019t deal with being sick.

So today the mr and I are going to keep it a low key day, probably just putz around the house, maybe hang the Christmas lights outside, read a lot, drink lots and lots of hot tea (and coffee). I don%u2019t want to get any sicker then I am so I need to kick it. That%u2019s the goal for the day Get un-sick!

Some stuff from the internet that I looked at that you can look at too.

-I asked the mr if he could ever do a fake tree. He hesitated but said no. (the hesitation shocked me) I could never get a fake tree, or scratch that. I must always have the main tree be real. Having extra fake trees is ok. Hking in the woods to cut our tree down is probably one of my favorite things ever. Real all the way. Real And Fake Christmas Tree Sellers Fight For American Hearts And Minds.

–Reading Fiction Makes You a Little Nicer. With all the reading I do, should I be nicer. Ha

-We must ACT NOW! It isn%u2019t a freaking joke. Shit is already hitting the fan. Climate impacts grow, and U.S. must act, says new report

–Sweet Potatoes: It’s A Thin Line Between Love And Hate. Sweet potatoes are amazing. I can%u2019t understand how some people hate them. They just haven%u2019t had it roasted with cumin and chili powder or covered in tahini.

-Can Anyone Save PBR? The beer that conquered Brooklyn is on the brink of extinction. I know a lot of people who will be so sad if PBR goes away. (the mr for sure)

–Why Does It Seem Like Everyone Is Getting Sick from Salad? Another reason to eat as local as you can. (although more then half my food is local but I am still convinced I got E coli form the romaine%u2026 I need my own farm to grow ALL my own food!)

-Holiday crafting is the best. I am working on something like this.

–Breathing Through the Nose May Offer Unique Brain Benefits. To smell all the smells.

-I am really feeling these shoes%u2026but I will never buy them because I don%u2019t buy shoes. But someone needs to get a pair.

-Oh, The Places You’ll Go: Toilet Signs Try To Help

Pictures from the past two weeks. There are not a lot because I pretty much didn%u2019t take any pictures for a week.

Did you wake up at 3:30 because your body is used to waking up at 4:30 but we add an extra hour and now you don%u2019t even really know what time it is for real? Yeah, that would be me. I look at my phone, at my computer, but don%u2019t trust all the self resetting clocks. I have to check the kitchen stove to see what time it was yesterday before I can figure out the time today and then check the technology clocks to see if they really know. But woo hoo, daylight savings. I am one of those people that really likes it. I like the light in the morning, I like the early as shit dark. It suits my life (early to bed, early to rise) and also gives off a feeling of coziness that I can%u2019t quite describe. Plus I am a slight creeper and love walking around the neighborhood after dinner when it is dark and seeing inside peoples house. Not like too creepy where I go an actively peer in, just looking in if their windows are open, checking out their decor, seeing what they are watching on tv, or what they are eating for dinner. Don%u2019t judge, you know you do the same thing too.

This week was a blur. On Sunday we spent way to much time walking around Ikea, checking out the Christmas stuff and choosing a new duvet cover. We had time to kill before Barbs plane landed from Italy (and it was late). So Ikea was the natural waiting place. It wasn%u2019t bad, the mr got to try the new veggie dogs, said they were absolutely fantastic and we actually did buy a duvet cover. But as soon as the plane landed we jumped in the car a drove circles around the terminal until the ladies appeared with smiles and bottles of wine and olive oil, which I have still yet to receive. Then a drive back home to where we stopped for drinks, I opened the trunk of the car and smacked my head on the door so hard I think I broke my skull. Anyway, she made it back from Italy and I am pretty sure I gave myself a concussion. Good stuff.

The week started. I spent the first half doing paperwork and making all sorts of phone calls about things that I don%u2019t know anything about trying to gather information to make said phone calls and blah blah blah.

And then it was Halloween and we didn%u2019t do a damn thing. We were suppose to take, at the very least, Judah out, but Coco got super sick again and landed himself a bed up at the hospital. Things got confusing and crazy and he ended up going with a family friend and their kids. We were pretty bummed, and so was he. What a bust. And we had only enough candy tor give 3 little kids so we didn%u2019t do that either. Another Halloween come and gone. Meh. But the next day we had the littles over for a school night sleep over. Not as fun as a weekend sleep over because there is bedtime, homework, the need to shower, and waking up early. But those guys championed, did all their homework, took their showers, and brushed their teeth without a single rebuke, and we had a grand old time. They even went to bed and woke up without giving me any shit. Then after a humorous breakfast of dried cereal, eggs, and toast, they got themselves ready and I dropped them off at school, again, with out any complaining. Those littles%u2026 So good. On the way to school I tried to explain why we do daylight savings. Things got off topic a bit and I might have blamed all the time changing on Voldemort and magic and yeah. Someone is going to need to sort that out with them someday. OR not.

After dropping them off I worked at the studio for the rest of the day. Megan came to visit me and bring me coffee. Which probably saved my life. Then I pugged clay for way to long and had to have the mr come to the studio and help me take the bolts out of the pug machine so I could take it apart to clean it, or more like I pugged, he took it apart and he cleaned it. My mr, he be so nice.

Yesterday was a burn out day. Might be getting a head cold (or it%u2019s the concussion) and I could barely keep my head from falling off, SO much pressure, even my eyes looked bleak and blue. But I did some stuff. The mr and I took a research drive, I got the grocery shopping done, did laundry, cleaned he house. And then went to bed early.

And now I am awake and it%u2019s early. My head is still pretty pressurized, but I think it might be starting to deflate a little which is good because today the mr and I have some outdoor plans. What exactly the plans are is still up in the air. It is suppose to be sunny and slightly warmer so we need to get to and get us some woods. I almost want to try and convince him that we should go camping and I totally would if I hadn%u2019t packed away everything and we had fire wood and if I wasn%u2019t afraid of the bears coming to eat me. One last meal before hibernation. Haha. No, its not the bears I worry about, our bears don%u2019t eat people here, it is the hunters I am actually worried about. I don%u2019t own any blaze orange and I move like a graceful doe in the woods. Yikes!

Some internet stuff I read this week.

-The mr sent me this link. He thinks I am crazy because I said that I want to live the next day without the extra hour yet and take my extra hour on Monday around 2, for like a nap time or something. I think I can do it, but only if I don%u2019t look at my phone clock. If I lived in the city, this guy could make it happen for everyone. The Man Who Turns Back New York City%u2019s Clocks, Hand by Hand. What a badass job.

-You Can Wrap All of Your Friends Christmas Gifts With Your Face This Year. Hahaha. I hate gift wrap, think it is a complete waste, but this is hilarious

-Another reason to get your shut eye. How Sleep Deprivation Messes With Creativity

-Do you love or loathe coffee? Your genes may be to blame. Both my parents drink pretty much nothing else but coffee so I think I am made up of like 25% coffee. Now I have a 99% tolerance to caffeine. The only thing that is does to me (that I notice) is that I get a major headache if I don%u2019t have it. But I am one of those people that could drink a pot of coffee and sleep like a baby for 8 hours. Same as the parents. Got to be genetic.

-If I lived in a brownstone in a loft in Brooklyn, this would be the one I would want.

–How Do You Move A Bookstore? With A Human Chain, Book By Book. This is just so fantastic.

-Just because it is not summer anymore and we are no longer gardening does not mean that there is any less produce out there to eat. Your Ultimate Guide to Fall Produce

-About That Monstrous Black Hole We%u2019re All Orbiting. Just in case you want to know. Life and black holes. What are you gonna do?

-Do any of yo have a septic system and grow ferns on top?. Something I have been thinking about fo septic system landscaping purposes. Anatomy of Ferns

–Thick Strokes of Paint Create Featureless Portraits in Abstracted Paintings by Joseph Lee

Pictures from the week. I didn%u2019t take very many, but I did get Barb eating so there is that.

Another Sunday, another week gone by.

So last Sunday I took some of the family (cousins, Dad, a few siblings and a couple littles) on a hike, a hike that I did not think would be a problem for anymore. Just a 5 or 6 mile, in and out, up a mountain hike. You know, easy. Turns out that some people are not as mountain climbing able as I thought and I might have almost killed a person or two. Oops. It was good though, actually is was freaking fantastic, and most of us made it to the top, to see the spender of the world, and we all made it back down alive so all ended well. And once were were down, everyone took off, and the mr and I headed for the campground. It was raining a little, cold as shit, but still glorious. We got there, set up, then tromped through the woods some more until we were just too cold. Headed back to camp where I chopped up a pumpkin for dinner and a little asshole chipmunk stole and ate half an apple. We then spent the rest of the evening trying to stay warm sitting by the fire. When it was finally an acceptable time to sleep, (8ish) I wore all my clothes, hat and mittens, and socks to bed. I fell asleep, woke up a few hours later to some load bros being dicks and shouting, but tyou know, that shit happens, but managed to be lulled back into sleep by the mr%u2019s snoring. Woke up in the pitch dark, made coffee, packed the site, and off to the river for the mr to do his morning fishing thing. And then back to the world of others and not just the trees. How do I not live in the trees? Some day, some day soon.

The rest of the week was whatever. Work stuff here and there. I ripped out most of the garden which was a little sad but freeing feeling. Barb came over for dinner and I plugged in my new lamp that I found on the side of the road and found a shade for it. I made a cake, cleaned the fridge, put away summer clothes. Boring stuff. There were two days back there when it got really warm again, and super humid and I almost lost my shit. And I got caught in the rain during farm share and got soaked, but other then that, nothing to eventful.

Friday I worked at the studio all day, cleaned a shit load, loaded kilns, did the happy human interaction thing. While I Was working the mr picked Judah up from school and after a trip for hot choclate, they came back home to meet me for dinner and a hair cut. That little finally let me take a few inches of hair off his head so he can now see again. I made pizza for them, we walked, Judah punched and karate chopped everything ( mostly the mr), Shannon randomly stopped by which was nice because I don%u2019t see here enough, and then everyone left. I assed out like a champ.

Yesterday was one of those day. I am not sick, but very tired and needed a kind of down day to just not, although it was very productive anyway. Trimmed some pots, ran chores, cleaned the shit out of the house. The mr did some fly tying and we went for a long walk. Slow and nice.

And it%u2019s Sunday which means CAMPING! We said it last week, and the week before, but I think this might actually be the last weekend camping for a little while (I am determined to get the mr to do a little winter camping) I don%u2019t know what I am going to do now because all week long I look forward to the taking of, going hiking, having a big fire, no house to clean up, and sleeping in the tent. I guess it%u2019s not like we still can%u2019t do all that, and still, it%u2019s just maybe we don%u2019t sleep in a tent outside anymore. Huh, maybe I might be preemptively saying we are not camping anymore.. Maybe we can just sleep in the car , do car camping from now on. Good idea me, keep it keeping on. Anyway, to the Queeche Gorge State Park today. The mr hopefully has his fishing waders, I have 2 books (one to finish, one to start), a pumpkin and lentils for dinner, and my winter mittens, extra socks, and lots and lots of fire wood.

We are ready.

Stuff you might find worth looking at on the internet this week.

–Why we need small farms. Giant farms scare me. I feel like I can trust a smaller, local farm over any big as mega farm any day.

–The Best Ways to Make a Carved Halloween Pumpkin Last Longer. I might try the soaking in water, I hear it really dose work well.

-I see it happening all the time was it scares that shit out of me. The babies know how to use a freaking computer, sometime even better then me. Craziness. Raised by YouTube

-I have got mine down. How and Why to Cultivate an Evil Laugh

–The Outrageous Master Sommelier Scandal, Explained. Oh man, would I be so so pissed if I was one of the honest test takers. That shit is HARD!

-This made me smile. Same-Sex Penguin Couple Fosters An Egg In Sydney

-Did you know Ikea had veggie dogs? In two months, Ikea sold 1 million of its new veggie hot dogs

-Definitely one of my life goals. The whole trail, one fell swoop. I might even have to drag the mr along too. What’s It Like To Hike The Long Trail?

–Yes, There’s a Right Way to Measure Brown%u00a0Sugar. I always back as much as I can%u2026

-Ginger Lime mule is the BEST! Polar Seltzer Limited Edition / Winter 2018 Released.

And Pictures from the wee

It was cold last night, cold enough where I ended up grabbing a wool blanket to add to the bed. Sure,I probably should have just closed the windows and turned the fan off, but fresh, clean, cold air. Ah, so refreshing. And I love a good warm cuddle bed so I was not complaining.

The week kicked off camping at Little River State Park. We hiked, the mr fished, I read a lot and knitted. Lentils and squash for dinner, a campfire, a quiet world. So relaxing, so peaceful. Even if the owls hoot hooting all night kept me awake, or the rusting of the trees that the mr thought was the forest on fire (yeah, I think he was having a nightmare). Never a dull moment, even when we are being dull. And then we woke up, packed up, the mr fished some more, I read some more, and back to the world of things to do.

And we did some things, mainly work things.

Tuesday night I made dinner for Megan, So, and the boys. First Spaghetti squash of the season. We ate, we played, So showed me all of her art work while the mr tried so hard to try and pull her loose tooth out with no success. She told me late that it fell out the next day, and that the tooth fairy left her a book, some cool clip on stars for her bike, and money. What I want to know was where this tooth fairy was when I was a kid a losing my teeth, we only got a quarter per tooth. She then told me that is was inflation.

Wednesday and Thursday was weird days where I didn%u2019t get as much done in life that I needed to. The mr got some painting done, a few other projects started, and we we kind of running around, doing this, waiting for that, thinking it was going to rain when it didn%u2019t or that it wans%u2019t going to when it did. Painting in unpredictable weather, a challenge. And the weather has been a little unpredictable. So sure, the time is ticking and we need to get the house painted before the winter, but really, do we? I mean what%u2019s the worst that happens, we can’t finish this year so we finish it nest spring? Yeah, that wouldn’t be the worst. But no, we will finish this year because we are awesome and we just will, But no pressure.

Jackson 17th birthday was Friday. I worked all day at the studio then quickly ran home to finish frosting his cake. His family dinner consisted of two cakes because he asked me to make him a cake but never told Shannon. I told Shannon but she wan%u2019t listening or something but yeah, two cakes. And the funny thing is that we both made chocolate peanut butter cup cakes, just because. We do shit like that all the time, thinking or doing the same thing with our knowing what the other is thinking or doing, because we are like the same person. #sistersister

After the party we took Miley and Judah home with us where we had conversations about global warming and natural disasters. That was an intense conversation, but a needed one. I pretty much told them they need to be smart, stay in school, take care of the environment, then save the world. I bet they will do it. Then they watched some comic book movie and I crawled into bed, listening to the wind almost blow the house down.

Next day we woke up, the house was still standing, so I made the pancakes. Barb came over, we picked up Coco, and off we went to pick some apples! What a gorgeous apple picking Saturday. Sun was out, but not to bright, it was chilly enough for a sweater, but not cold. The apples were amazing, the orchard was quiet, and the littles were ready to eat. Coco%u2019s first apple picking experience and it was everything you could ask for. Walking around saying apple, eating apples and picking apples. All the smiles and laughing.. That Coco, he might just be the cutest baby ever.

After that, I was pretty wiped but I had a mission. First before I could takle the Saturday cleaning, I needed to to get on making hot sauce. I picked probably 100 jalape%u00f1os at farm share and needed to get them sauced and out of the veggie drawer and into jars. Took me at least a hour to de-seed all the peppers, even burned through a pair of rubber glove. And the fumes from the pot while I was cooking them%u2026 these jalape%u00f1os were hot hot hot, but hot so good. So I got it made and done and now my finger tips are burning, and my lips, and strange parts of my face (I might have touched my face a few times while cutting the peppers). Then it was time to clean house, and house I did clean. Some people might think I am crazy with my Saturday night cleaning ritual, but honest here, I look forward to it every week. I am happiest at home when my floors are mopped, the toilets are scrubbed, the pantry is sparkling, and all the walls and base boards have been wiped down. Then I can relax.

We are camping tonight and it%u2019s going to be a cold one. And last night I noticed that it got dark out at like 730. This might pose to be an issue for some, but I am actually quite excited. Cold camping is fun, and rewarding, and crawling into the tent at 8 is my kind of night. Ha! And here to hoping that I get a good amount if knitting done while we are at it. I feel like I am falling behind on my knitting projects. Camping knitting, that what I am going to be doing.

Internet looking at from the week

–Listen to the world. This takes a little while to listen too, but it is freaking awesome.

-Not me,I have some plants that I have had for more then 10 years, but hey, maybe you are just the unlucky ones that are getting all the dying plants because all plant so in fact die.. Why Are You So Good at Killing Your Houseplants?

–Venture to Earth%u2019s Most Extreme Places Through These Maps. Who doesn%u2019t love a good map?

-I love when librbaries loan out cool things other then books. It really is a great community resource. If You Have A New York Public Library Card, You Can Now Borrow Ties And Handbags

–Wood-Burning Cookstoves for the Kitchen. I want the first one. It%u2019s amazing

-I am not one to be scared of a little mold, except in bread. Sorry, but There’s No Such Thing as the “Clean Part” of Moldy Bread

-Is Vermont Really Losing Young People? I know so so many people my age that have moved away but say they will be back. Wonder if there is going to be a move back boom in like the next 10 years%u2026 but all those people will be kind of old. Ha. Is Vermont Really Losing Young People?

-Introverted Doesn%u2019t Mean What You Think It Means. I know I am very introverted. I can hang with the best of them, but people take so much energy out of me. I need to be by myself (without a phone or computer or any interaction) more then not, or else I freak out. Introverted Doesn%u2019t Mean What You Think It Means

-Ballon goals. Balloon Sculptures by Masayoshi Matsumoto Present Air-Filled Interpretations of the Animal Kingdom

-I want to be an American woking in an Australian coffee shop. Why Are So Many Australians Working in American Coffee?

Pictures from the week

And it’s September which means that I can talk all I want about how excited for fall I am. Because I am very very excited. Apples, pumpkins, sweaters, cozy blankets, darker evenings. And no more humidity! Ha, jokes on us, it suppose to be stupid hot and humid again all next week. WHY!!! But after that it’s gonna get cool right, cause eI can’t take the heat anymore.%u00a0

The week started off by giving Miley a hair trim and Coco his first ever hair cut. He could have cared less about it but I think it %u00a0might have traumatized me and his mother more. He looks like a completely different kid now. And %u00a0so old. I miss the curls, but I think he looks %u00a0really good. Maybe I should go into the hair cutting business? Yeah, maybe that’s just what I will do. Then the next day, with littles all fresh and trimmed we went %u00a0for a picnic walk on the last day of summer. This was when the mr decided to make the nastiest sandwich he could (Cream cheese, cheddar cheese, Apple Jacks, veggies straws, pickles, mustard, and ketchup on white) just to gross the kids out. They had bagels with just cream cheese.%u00a0We had the intentions of walking to a playground, but due to the heat almost killing use we only made it to a green park where the mr ate the nasty sandwich and actually liked it, Miley read, and Coco and Judah %u00a0rolled around in the grass like dogs.%u00a0. We then decided ice cream because duh, and %u00a0instead of buying individual ice cream cones, bought a half gallon and I just let the 4 of them go to town and eat as much of the ice cream as they could. I figured to hot to walk it home and also last summertime hurrah. They got through just about the whole thing.%u00a0

Work wise, we have spent most of the week, going back and forth with paint colors for one of the houses because we are crazy and spend way way to much time on colors.%u00a0%u00a0We have a million gallons of a color that we are not super excited about but in the end, saving at least $700 bucks in paint, well we finally decided to just go with it. %u00a0It is Mint green, but it is %u00a0growing on me. I think we can make it look cool. No, I know we can. You just wait and see.

Then there is the new addition of the cat door for Only. We installed it in the back of the house so he will stop sitting on the front porch meowing like he is starving to death and we won’t let him in the house. Our neighbors think we are terrible. But what they don’t know is that he is allowed to do whatever he wants. Eats a whole hell of a lot, but is just a really really mouthy cat. But yeah, we would like him to start meowing at the back door instead. Hence cat door.%u00a0

And Barb came over for dinner and tattoo drawing. She wants a tattoo bad. I am ok with it, as long as she waits a while and listens to exactly what I tell her. Ha. %u00a0Megan and So %u00a0came the next day so So could tell me all about her fist few days of kindergarten and to have lunch. And to make a bedtime box, which in fact, has been used by other littles for bedtime. Kindergarten is really making her smart that one.%u00a0%u00a0

On Friday afternoon we went to the fair. And whoa shit it has been like 15 years since the last time I went to one.%u00a0%u00a0We kind of had too because we had free tickets even though I am not a fair person by any means. I don’t like crowds, I don’t like rides, I don’t like playing games for toys, but it was actually pretty cool to see the animals. 4H and blue ribbon carrots and big ass pumpkins. %u00a0All the farm animals were very cute and the giraffe.. a little out of place, but cool non the less. My biggest thing though was where did it live? I know the farm animals all came from farms around the state and the animals were taken care of, but the giraffe. It made me kind of sad. I am just hoping it gets to go back to a good home too. And after the animals we %u00a0did do the walk through around the rides and it was cool to see all the rides and colors and such, but after that I had to go. An hour was all I could handle.

The studio is closed for the weekend so I didn’t have to work. Instead the littles came over for a sleep over. We watched a movie then I went to bed and they stay up all night watching whatever. Woke them up to squeeze bottles full of colored pancake batter to make crazy pancake and then after Judah got enough of beating the shit out of the mr, we went to the farm, picked flowers, climbed trees and played tether ball. The weather was spot on too, nice and cool and crisp.%u00a0%u00a0It was a fanatic morning.

And then I went home and spent the afternoon cleaning the littles ick and processing the new pile of tomatoes and squash that have started to overflow (again) on the counter. This time of year, it’s like having a part time job just keeping up with all the veggies, which is not a complaint, just an observations of my life.%u00a0

Today, after a quick bike ride to the gym and library this morning, the mr and I are grabbing the camping stuff and taking off for the day and night. It’s Labor Day tomorrow so we have to camp tonight. That is what we are all suppose to do,%u00a0right?%u00a0

Internet finding that I found this week.%u00a0

-This is where we are staying tonight. New Discovery Stage Park. I am very excited, neither of us have ever been to this park before.%u00a0

–Goats Like It When You Smile at Them, Extremely Heartwarming Study Says. I mean, who doesn’t prefer a smile.%u00a0

-Got to know what to look for up there this month.%u00a0%u00a0Can’t-Miss Sky Events in September

–The forest beekeepers of Zanzibar.%u00a0I couldn’t imagine having to climb a tree to get to a hive. These folks are awesome.

-Aagghh %u00a0Pesticides. Son of a bitch.%u00a0What You Need to Know About the Massive Times Pesticide Report.

– 5 Proven Benefits Of Play. We all need to play more!

-When the mr and I first started dating, we used to stay up all night and watch this show, It is one my top three favorite shows %u00a0of all time. Mr Tastee is a classic.%u00a0The Adventures of Pete and Pete%u2019s Mr. Tastee Episode Is the Perfect Ode to Summer

%u00a0-I was thinking about fainting recently (on a very hot day), like wondering if I did faint, if I would go down gradually or hard and fast and bash my head open. I think about these things.%u00a0%u00a0Fainting Is a Pretty Weird Thing for a Body to Do

-No more excuses. You are or you are not. Ha A Sociologist Finds Vegans Are Too Open to %u2018Free Riders%u2019

–Why you can smell rain%u2014even though it’s odorless. But is it really?

All the pictures from the week.

Have a great long weekend!

-C

THE LOVELY CRAZY

November 8, 2019 by maximios • Blog

It is kind of hard to believe that it is October already. I thought I was ready, but I feel a little like I am falling behind. There is so much fall stuff to do and I need to do it all. Like hiking up all the mountains and then a lot of sitting in a pile of bright fall leaves, wrapped in blankets, wearing my coziest socks, drinking hot drinks, and reading/knitting/napping. All three at once, while the apple and pumpkin things bake and the little paper bats hanging from the ceiling sway in the breeze. Yeah, that sounds about right. And I am getting some of it done, just need to get more of it done. Especially the napping. Haha.

Last week, camping at Zack Woods Pond, was for sure, some of the best we ever have done. Before we got to the middle of nowhere that was camp, we stopped at a harvest festival and did some poking around. Found letters for all the games, a washing machine, and unicorns. Then we drove away some more and checked out a chunk of land that we want to buy but won’t because it is almost unaccessible in the best of times, so yeah no, not gonna work. But the search continues. After the land we headed to the place where we were camping but got a little lost. We had to go to a nearby state park to talk to the ranger and get a hand drawn map to find the place. Well hidden to say the least, but we found it and pretty sure not many other people know about it because we didn’t see a soul. It felt like we had the entire world to ourselves. And oh was it beautiful. The colors were starting to pop, the air was crisp and clean and brisk. The campsite was, well it was a small rock fire pit and trees. Perfection. After setting up the tent we took the kayaks out on the pond and paddled around in all the greatness that was there. Then we hiked around and the hung out by the fire because it was cold. Had dinner facing the pond and all the pretty trees, then the mr did a little sunset fishing. More campfire sitting and off to bed. As it got dark out a couple girls ended up having a fire or something that far away where we couldn’t see them, but we know it was a couple girls because they were very LOUD. And annoying, but they only stayed for an hour or so and their echoing mouths were gone and it was back to being the most silent night and back to sleep. Then the painful part. Waking up the next morning. 33 degrees was the number of the air. We didn’t complain but we did packed up really fast, jumped into the car, and blasted the heat. Cozy and warm and full of happy outdoor feelings. The best way to start a week.

Back home the days did their thing. Work, dealing with stupid stuff, me breaking everything. I dropped my camera and smashed the lens. My phone all of a sudden didn’t want to work right and the battery is now basically dead. The shower head decided to break mid shower and spray water all over the freaking place. I broke a chunk of finger off pugging clay at the studio. Then the stem of my pumpkin broke off right before I broke a flower pot. All not the worst individually, but goodness gracious, give me a freaking break.. Ah hahaha. Oh well. Shit break I guess.

Other then all that, there was a 14th birthday party for Alex. I found a new cute pyrex bowl for 50 cent which made me happy. I went down to the farm mid week and picked bags and bags of parsley to freeze for the winter. Then there was actual farm share with celeriac back in rotation! I worked at the studio (the chunk of my finger is still there), did another birthday party for Coco, who is now 3, and took the littles pumpkin picking with the mr and Barb as per our tradition. They got their jack o lantern pumpkins, I got me my pie pumpkins, and we found a garden snake. A game of tether ball and that was that. I came home after dropping them off and spent the day trying to warm up because it was freezing. And yeah I know,I could turn the heat on but no, not yet. I refuse to turn the heat on for at least 3 more weeks. November 1st. Until then, all the sweaters and socks will have to do to keep me warm.

Today we are doing it, camping at Branbury State Park, even though it miiiight rain. Hoping that it holds off until at least 830 tonight (we will be in the tent by then) or maybe even until we wake up in the morning and are on our way home? That would be great. We will see, and either way it will be good. And not going is not an option. There are only 2 more weekends of camping before everything closes up and it starts to snow. Yup, before it snows. That is happening and I don’t think I can convince the mr to set up the tent in the snow.

Links from the week from the internet of stuff.

-All the pretty colors! What Causes Leaves To Change Color?

-Got a garden? These are the Frost Tolerance of Vegetables. My tomatoes are caput but the chard is looking oh so fine.

–How Gen-Z Is Dealing With a Looming Climate Apocalypse. Yup, shits hitting the fan and everyone knows it,

-Kneadable erasers are the best and I guess work for more then there attended purpose. The best $1.50 I ever spent: a kneadable eraser

-Swetaer weather for sure, but what is sweater weather? What “Sweater Weather” Is

–The Female Founders Disrupting the Vagina Economy. Of course they are not.

-Philip Pullman and his dark materials. A new book. I an SO EXCITED, I might just buy it!!! ‘The Secret Commonwealth’

–How to charge your devices the right way. I have been doing it wrong for so long.

-I am good. Actually, even better then good. I change towels pretty much every day. Here’s How Often You Should Be IWashing Your Dish Towels, According to Microbiologists

-I am in love with this little place.

Pictures from the week.

THE LOVELY CRAZY

November 8, 2019 by maximios • Blog

Soup. No joke (although people make jokes about me), is eaten in my house, at lunch and sometime even at dinner. Every. Single. Day. There is just no going wrong with a big pot or veggies, spices, sometimes beans, sometime not. I make it in big batches, in small batches. Sometimes it%u2019s more a bisque, or a chili or a stew, or just a really really spicy broth. Whatever I have in the fridge or freezer, the stuff that might not be great eaten fresh, sad spinach%u2026. It all turns in soup.

Does that make me some kind of weird soup freak? Maybe, but I am ok with that. And to those who see me walking down the street and yell silly things about me having to get home to eat my soup (it happens more then you know) well, you know you are just jealous and secretly wish you were eating soup with my too. So %ud83d%ude1d.

Are you a soup person too? I mean, who isn%u2019t, especially right now that is is fall time and it%u2019s getting chilly and darker out and all we want to do is hibernate. Definitely a soup time if there was ever a specific time for soup. And this soup, made even more hardy and comforting with the addition on dumplings. I actually made it specifically for the mr because, well just because I love him and thought he would enjoy it. And well, he loved it because dumplings of course. Light and slightly chewy, soup thickening dumplings with hot and comforting soup. A perfect end to a day of him working outside in the cold.

So soup. Make it. Dumplings. Add those too. You will be a winner with food, and in life.

To the soup and dumplings!

The stuff. A few stalks of Swiss chard, a couple carrots and a few potatoes. An onion, dried navy beans, some cherry tomatoes. Then there is flour, with salt and baking powder, a little oil, plant based milk, and salt and pepper.

Veggie chopping time. Dice the potatoes, the onion, the carrots, and the stalks of the chard into small mouth sized pieces. Cut the cherry tomatoes in half and the chard leaves into small ribbons. Set the tomatoes and greens aside.

Dump the carrots, onion, chard stalks, and potatoes into a very large pot, add all the spices, a good pinch of salt, lots of black pepper, and a few splashed of water. Cook on medium high heat for 5-7 minutes to just kind of sweat the veggies a bit.

Add in beans and water. Bring pot to a boil then reduce heat to medium and let cook for about an hour. Just give it a stir once in a while.

After an hour check the beans. If they seem close to being done (almost squish in between fingers), then add in the tomatoes, the chard greens, and a few more cup of water. Keep on heat and start the dumpling batter.

Dumpling batter. Mix together the dry ingredients then add in the wet. Mix until combined.

Soup. All nice and looking just about done. The vegges are soft and tender, the beans are cooked. Check and season for salt now then get ready to drop dumplings.

Drop the dumplings. Tablespoons of batter go right into the soup. Thencook, with a lid slightly covering pot, for about 15 minutes.

Look at that. Soup with soft, fluffy, dumpling ready for consumption.

Now all you have to do it serve it up and eat it up.

Soup all day. Every day. Dumplings too!

-C

makes 4-6 servings

For the soup
1/2 cup dried small white beans
1 large onion
2 carrots
2 small red potatoes
3 Swiss chard leaves and stalks
handful of cherry tomatoes (about a cup or so)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dill
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon marjoram
1 teaspoon ground mustard
1/2 teaspoon sage
1/2 red pepper flakes
12 cups water
salt and pepper to taste
For dumplings
1 cup all purpose flour
1 tablespoons oil
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup warm water or plant based milk

Couple quick notes. I use water but if you really want, use veggie stalk. I find stalk overpowers soup and makes it taste salty, even when it is low sodium. Plus water is there and free but again, use stalk if you want. Also, you can use just about any veggie that you like so if you want to replace chard with celery and spinach or throw some red peppers into the soup, go for it.

Start by small dicing the potatoes, the onion, the carrots, and the stalks of the chard. Dump it all into a large pot, along with all the spices and a good pinch of salt and pepper, and place on the stove on medium high heat with about 1/2 cup water and cook for a few minutes. Cut the cherry tomatoes in half and cut the chard leaves into small ribbons. Set aside.

Once the veggies and spices have had a few minutes on the stove, add in the dried beans and 10 cups of water. Bring the pot to a boil then reduce to a medium heat. Cook for about an hour, giving it a stir once in a while. After an hour, check beans for doneness but removing one or two and pinching between fingers. . They should be close to done by now. If they are still really heard, cook for another 20 minutes, if almost cooked through, toss in the tomatoes, the chard greens and the other 2 cups of water. Keep cooking.

In the meantime, make dumpling dough. Mix the dry together then add in the oil and milk. Mix until just combined. Set aside.

Once the soup is done (the veggies are all soft and tender, the beans are cooked through which should take a total of 1 1/2 hours), it%u2019s time to dumpling. Turn the soup up to a medium high heat and carefully drop tablespoons of the dumpling batter right into the soup. The batter will float. Once all the dumplings are in, half cover the pot and let the dumpling cook for 15 minutes or until the dumplings are big, light. and fluffy.

Remove pot from heat and serve and eat right away. Big bowls, Big spoons. Pinch more of salt if needed. Lots of pepper.

THE LOVELY CRAZY

November 8, 2019 by maximios • Blog

So soup. Make it. Dumplings. Add those too. You will be a winner with food, and in life.

To the soup and dumplings!

Add in beans and water. Bring pot to a boil then reduce heat to medium and let cook for about an hour. Just give it a stir once in a while.

Dumpling batter. Mix together the dry ingredients then add in the wet. Mix until combined.

Soup. All nice and looking just about done. The vegges are soft and tender, the beans are cooked. Check and season for salt now then get ready to drop dumplings.

Drop the dumplings. Tablespoons of batter go right into the soup. Thencook, with a lid slightly covering pot, for about 15 minutes.

Look at that. Soup with soft, fluffy, dumpling ready for consumption.

Now all you have to do it serve it up and eat it up.

Soup all day. Every day. Dumplings too!

-C

makes 4-6 servings

For the soup
1/2 cup dried small white beans
1 large onion
2 carrots
2 small red potatoes
3 Swiss chard leaves and stalks
handful of cherry tomatoes (about a cup or so)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dill
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon marjoram
1 teaspoon ground mustard
1/2 teaspoon sage
1/2 red pepper flakes
12 cups water
salt and pepper to taste
For dumplings
1 cup all purpose flour
1 tablespoons oil
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup warm water or plant based milk

In the meantime, make dumpling dough. Mix the dry together then add in the oil and milk. Mix until just combined. Set aside.

Remove pot from heat and serve and eat right away. Big bowls, Big spoons. Pinch more of salt if needed. Lots of pepper.

This summer has been weird. And when I say weird, I mean too stupid freaking hot and humid and it’s screwing up my life.%u00a0I think I have gone a month, maybe more, without making soup.%u00a0That is just not right. For as long as I can remember I have made soup, or at least eaten soup, just about everyday, even all summer long. But the terrible heat and humidity this year, I just have had no desire. It has been straight up shredded zucchini and whole tomatoes for some time now. I just don’t want to have any residual added heat to my life.%u00a0%u00a0But the other day, oh how lovely. I woke up with a chill, %u00a0enough that I needed to grab a long sleeve before leaving the house, and had the very strong urge to return home and get my soup on. And soup on I did!

For my first trip back into soup (oh how I missed soup!),%u00a0I went simple and used what I, and many, many people have ample supplies of right now.%u00a0Tomatoes. And beans because I wanted my soup to be thick and creamy and I had the beans so why the heck not.

This soup really requires very little and you get the most thick, delicious, creamy, tomatoey soup. Perfect to eat alone, but is fanatic with some crackers, or a hunk of crusty bread. And it uses a lot of tomatoes which is nice because I am (as are many of you.. My neighbor is bringing me HER tomatoes now too) trying to make a dent in the ever growing pile or these beauties on the counter. This soup dented it, until I went out to the garden a few minutes later. My pile is bigger then ever, which is fine because I am back on my soup game.%u00a0

The stuff. Lots of tomatoes, some white beans (I used navy, but any white bean would be good) a large onion, a carrot, salt and pepper, a lemon, some olive oil, and honey (optional).

First off, chop the carrot and onion into chunks.

Toss the chopped stuff into a big ol’ pot with a drizzle of olive oil and cook on a medium heat until nice and soft.%u00a0

While veggies are cooking, core and cut up all those tomatoes.%u00a0

When the veggies have cooked up a bit, add the tomatoes, the beans, and a sprinkle of salt and pepper to the pot and give it a good mix. Return to high heat, stirring even so often, until the tomatoes give off enough juiced to start boiling then turn heat down to medium and cook for a little while, like 1/2 an hour or 45 minutes.

Until it looks lit this. The tomatoes have all fallen apart and the beans, carrots and onions are mushy.%u00a0

Blended with the juice of the lemon and a sprinkle of pepper and more salt if needed.%u00a0

Now serve into a %u00a0bowls. Garnish with a drizzle of honey if you are feeling it. Sliced cherry tomatoes make for fancy garnish.%u00a0

Creamy tomato bean soup for everyone!

Hurray for soup!

-C

Makes about 1/2 gallon (enough to serve a crowed or enough to serve one for a few days and maybe freeze some for later)

10-12 large tomatoes%u00a0
2 1/2 cup or 1 can of cooked white beans (I used navy but any white bean will be good)
1 large onion
1 large carrot
I lemon
olive oil
salt and pepper
honey (optional)

Start by chopping the onion and carrot up into small chunks. Grab a large heavy bottom pot, drizzle a teaspoon or two of olive on the bottom then toss in the chopped veggies. Place the pot on a medium heat, stirring occasionally until the onion and carrot start to soften.%u00a0

While the veggies are cooking, core and cut up all the tomatoes. Once the veggies are soft, dump in all the tomatoes, along with the beans and all the liquid they are in. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and turn heat up to high, giving it a good stir until the tomatoes start to get super juicy then bring the pot to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium and cook for another half hour to 45 minutes, giving it a stir ever so often. %u00a0When the tomatoes have completely fallen apart and the carrot, onions, and beans are mushy, you know its done.%u00a0

Remove the pot from heat and dd in the juice of the lemon. Using a hand blender, blend until it’s a smooth creamy consistency. If you only have a counter belnder, let soup cool a little before handling and %u00a0be really freaking careful and blend a few cups at a time, making sure to have the blender lid on. Hot soup in the face is no fun.

Once soup is creamy and smooth, serve in bowls with a drizzle of honey (totally optional, but some people really like a touch of sweetness to their tomato soup) and more pepper to a taste. Garnish with thinly sliced cherry tomatoes if you are feeling fancy.%u00a0

Any extra soup can be refrigerated for up to a week. Can also be frozen.%u00a0

THE LOVELY CRAZY

November 8, 2019 by maximios • Blog

The idea of turning on the heat hasn’t really yet occurred to me. Sure I have been a little on the chilly side, but when I am cold my mind doesn’t think about turning on the house heat, it thinks I need more layers, a hot drink, and to bake a loaf of bread. That being said, after the littles came over and were complaining about how cold they were, I finally realized that yes, we don’t really need to be this cold. But I still didn’t turn the heat on. (I know, I am so mean.) We have one more week until the end of the month and then maybe I will switch it on. To keep the plant alive I suppose, and so I don’t turn into a popsicle too I guess.

This week started as usual, with hiking and camping. We hiked to some waterfalls that were gorgeous but the area we went to was packed with smelly (Cologne and perfume.. gross) tourist so it was a little annoying. But then we made out way up to Belvidere and set up camp outside my families cabin in the woods . That was amazing and fresh and happy. There was no going inside (locked up for the year) but the land there is the most amazing place and we just soaked up the good, hiked around some more, the mr fished, we ate, watched the sunset, had a fire, then crawled into the tent. Woke up, packed up, drove back to life and that was that.

The rest of the week was the week. It involved another trip to the dentist. Not to get my permanent crown, but to replace the temporary crown that I accidentally swallowed. Yup. So new temp crown (which already has a chip in it. No I do not eat rocks but jeez, what the heck?) until my real one goes in sometime next week. Gotta say, I am pretty sick of going to the dentist. What else? Oh, there was farm share pick up, the last summer share of the year. A little sad, but not too sad because winter share starts in a two weeks and I have a freezer fulled to the brim with food so I will survive. Oh, and the dirt pile form the mr digging under the house that was in the middle of the back yard is gone thanks to my smartly pants self. Our neighbors needed dirt for a project that they are doing around their house and instead of buying it, I had the idea that they could just take our pile, and they did! They got free dirt and we got rid of the dirt for free (we were going to rent a u Haul this week to move it all). So success was had with that and I feel all sorts of smug about it.

Any who. Friday, after spending the day loading kilns at the studio, we had the littles over for a pumpkin carving party. It tuned mostly into a throwing pumpkin seeds and guts at each other party, but it was a party involving pumpkins no less. The thing with the pumpkins that we get from the farm is that they are supper heavy and hearty and thick. Like 3 inches thick and a bitch to cut into, making it hard for the littles to actually cut. The mr and I did what we could do for the young ones but we let Barb do her own because she is old enough to almost cut a hand off. All in all the pumpkins were cut up enough and turned out great. I got most of the guts wiped up and collected the seeds to roast. Then we all lit pumpkin, walked some of the marshmallow sugar off, and the mr and I sent them to watch movies in the nook while he did whatever he did and I passed the f out. Woke up, fed them, and sent them all home. I spent the rest of my day running errands and cleaning seeds and pumpkin guts off the walls. For real. All over the house. I don’t know why I still get surprised when the littles managed to do the impossible when it comes to messes. When will I learn?

And it’s Sunday. And yes, we are suppose to go camping. The last hurrah of the camping season. But here is the thing. It is suppose to rain all day. So the question is..do we go anyway? I say yes but I am not so sure the mr is sold. What I am thinking is I am going to go the gym, the library, and maybe stop at the coop this morning and be home by lunch. If it is pouring, well we might rethink our plans, but a little misty rain, we can take it. Because I need this. Our last camp. I am already sad that the season is over. What I am hoping for is the weather to be wrong and that maybe we will only get a sprinkle or two and today will be the best camp ever. Wish us luck.

Weekly internet stuff.

–Hocus Pocus Sequel. Maybe I am being skeptical, but is it going suck? Maybe it’s best they just leave a good thing alone…. yeah right

-What do you think about this? I am kind of intrigued to tell the truth. Anything for a tree I guess. Halloween Trees Are Having a Moment—Here’s How to Pull Off the Decorating Trend at Home

–Dog People Live Longer. But Why? Dog people know why.

–What Happens to Your Body When You Take Naps Every Single Day? Naps for the win. Now I need actually start taking them more often.

-Cemeteries are always so pretty, even the ones that are tucked away, into the trees. I think I actually like those the best. Here are 7 cemeteries with views to die for.

–Science can do cool things.Artificial Leaf to Replace Petrol? Find Out How it Works!

–Brooklyn Townhouse in Pinks, Greens, and Grays. I am not usually one fore dark surroundings, but I am into this house for sure.

–Want to Reduce Your Waste? Do This First. Reduce. Reduce REDUCE!!!!!

–How I Got My Job: Making Custom Ceramics for Restaurants. A potters life

–Weed over booze. What Does It Mean to Be ‘Cali Sober’?